Joell Ortiz - Ooh

Through good times and bad, Joell Ortiz has always come through with the kind of tunes that make listeners go “Ooh” – whether it’s the pleasantly surprised “Ooh!” a junk food fiend makes upon noticing there’s still one more Twinkie in the box, the drawn-out “Ooooooh” emitted by a third-grade class who just heard a dirty word or, as in the case of this newly-leaked album cut, the deflated “Ooh” of a hater who’s realized his target is simply too fly to care about his criticisms. Here, the pounding piano chords and chopped vocalizations of beatsmith Large Professor set a street-ready mood as Ortiz reminds us that he’s still driven, hungry and ready to attack his doubters head-on: “Every word I recite get the town (bacon/bakin’), I’m not your average feast / I can’t stomach y’all – make my abs get weak.” Singer Iffy handles guest duties, contributing a hook considerably less debatable than his stage name would suggest. Like what you’re hearing? While Ortiz’ recent release from E1 has made his long-awaited sophomore set’s title all the more appropriate, Free Agent will still be dropping, as scheduled, on November 30.